Twitter will focus on maintaining the integrity of the conversation around the Lok Sabha election, CEO Jack Dorsey said in an interview. (Reuters photo)
The last time you heard of Jack Dorsey was when he was being trolled on social media for being "anti-Hindu". A seemingly innocuous poster he held during a visit to India quickly turned into a political firestorm that he probably was unprepared for.
Now Jack Dorsey, the Twitter CEO, is planning to get even more involved in India's politics. For the greater good.
Well, to be fair it is Dorsey's Twitter and not the founder-CEO himself that will be more involved with Indian politics. Twitter is actively preparing for the upcoming general elections during which PM Narendra Modi will seek a fresh term in office.
Jack Dorsey, in an interview, said that Twitter is preparing for the Indian elections. "It's going to be the biggest democratic election in the world," Dorsey acknowledged in his interview as he said that the social media platform was "very fortunate" since Twitter is already being used by the "influences and the politicians and the government" in the country.
So, what is Twitter's grand plan for the Indian elections? Jack Dorsey did not reveal much in his interview to Huffington Post. But he indicated that Twitter's focus is going to be on maintaining the "integrity of the conversation" around the election.
Dorsey was likely talking about the spread of misinformation that cause public support -- and subsequently votes -- to swing towards or against a political party.
We want to make sure that we are doing what we can to make sure that we maintain the integrity of the conversation around the [Lok Sabha] election
The problem -- of fake news on social media affecting election results -- is being widely debated in the United States, where investigations are taking place into whether fake news spread actively on social media helped Donald Trump become president in 2016.
In his interview to Huffington Post, Dorsey also spoke about the controversy that erupted during his India visit last year. At one of the events he attended in India, Dorsey was pictured holding a poster that said 'Smash Brahmanical Patriarchy'.
The controversial photo that so riled people in some quarters
Dorsey was attacked for what many felt was an "anti-Brahmin" or "anti-Hindu" poster. In his interview to Huffington Post, Dorsey suggested that he was unaware of what poster he was holding.
"I was given a poster and then someone immediately said 'Let's take a picture'," Dorsey said, explaining what happened when the controversial photo was shot. "I mean, what do I do, not accept anything from anyone? Not ever take pictures? I don't know. What's the solution?"
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